PROFILE

ART DIRECTOR, GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR
Skilled, experienced and versatile graphics professional with over 25 years experience. Background in print, web, production, publishing, marketing, promotions, and training. Worked on a wide range of assignments and posts, employing a broad range of skills and flexible stylistic approach. Executes projects from concept to finished production art, combining graphics, illustration, and technical skills. Fully conversant with electronic publishing and software tools. Imaginative, hardworking and good on deadlines. Have worked as a staff artist, solo and with design teams and supervising workgroups. Understands both the traditional graphic arts and computer technology, traditional and digital studio skills. Evaluates new technologies in electronic art, desktop publishing and new media. BFA with honors in Graphic Design and Illustration, Pratt Institute. Located in Rockland County, NY, seeking professional creative opportunities in the NYC Tri-State area.

Yikes! That's a lot of stuff! Just give me THE BASICS

KURT E. GRIFFITH
Graphics • Design • Illustration • Print • Web
72 Tennyson Drive, Nanuet NY 10954
845 623 0940 • 917 776-6327
[email protected] • www.fantastic-realities.com


OBJECTIVE
Accomplished, organized Graphics Professional with proven track record possessing traditional and digital skills seeks to execute fully realized design solutions in a senior creative position.


QUALIFICATIONS
• GRAPHIC COMMUNICATOR • DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR
• PRINT • WEB • PRODUCTION • TECHNOLOGY • TRAINING


ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Created promotional poster from sketch to finished product entirely in the digital realm with minimal budget and compressed timeline for a charity event.

• Designed and executed a from-scratch promotional piece for a new luxury travel and lifestyle magazine.

• Created illustrations for a food service trade magazine.

• Participated with an art team that prepared a sample segment for an animated feature film as a graphic artist, cel painter, and title designer.

Developed a new design for the NAACP annual Report. Integrated the organization’s mission, achievements and their financial data for an updated, polished look.

Developed two incarnations of Elite Traveler Magazine’s Media kit. Integrated publisher and sales force material combined with a comprehensive promotional piece to create a distributable package.

Led a design team and coordinated with the marketing, editorial and sales departments, developing an all new media kit for an expanded group of travel publications and services. Supervised Assistant Art Directors in maintaining department workflow. Brought the entire project’s disparate components into a cohesive whole for distribution to the sales force.

Planned the redesign and redeployment of an entertainment web site recycling existing code and artwork. Assigned art tasks to Assistant Art Directors. Coordinated design efforts and production art to redress and prepare the new site for deployment in a fraction of the original development time.

Supported the Creative Director of Elite traveler Magazine in the production of the launch issue. Executed production artwork, custom graphics, prepress and trafficking for all pages. Preflighted, and corrected advertisers’ art. Resulted in smooth production and traffic coordination.

Hired and trained a new staff of freelancers for the Art Department of a relocated vendor of imprinted novelties. Instructed the new staff on art procedures, trafficking, studio techniques, darkroom operations, single and multicolor art preparation.

Taught computer graphics for Computer Arts Forum, an experimental arm of Pratt Manhattan. Studied fundamentals of computer generated art. Demonstrated theories and introduced basic techniques to a broad spectrum of students.

Organized the establishment of new design procedures at a direct mail house in response to the challenges of integrating Desktop Publishing into a traditional shop. Researched and evaluated DTP capabilities and limitations.


PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

ART DIRECTION
Promotional, Corporate & Magazine Design, Typography, Darkroom, Imaging, Art and Technical Training

DESIGN
Graphics, Display Typography & Logos, Book & Magazine Design, Web Design, Layout & Mechanical Art, Color Separation, Prepress Preparation: 4-Color, Spot, & Silkscreen Process Preparation, Comps and Mockups, Photography, Animation Cel Painting and Titles

ILLUSTRATION
B/W, Color, Cover, Editorial, Technical, Spot, Cartoon and Electronic.

SOFTWARE SKILLS / ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING & GRAPHICS
Quark Xpress, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, Imageready, InDesign, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Flash, Freehand , Fireworks, BB Edit, MS Word/Office, Painter, Infini-D, Electronic Illustration, Animation, 3D Modeling, Electronic Publishing, Associated MAC Support and System Software, IT basic Support, Seminar & Workshop Instructor


PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Fantastic Realities Studio, Nanuet, NY - 2001- Present
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, Graphics and Design Services

Art on Paper Magazine, Fanning Publishing, NYC - July 2003 -June 2004
Art Director & Webmaster

Elite Traveler Magazine, Universal Communications, NYC - 2001
Art Director, Prepress Technician & Web Designer

Crescent Publishing Group, NYC, New Media Group - 1998 - 2001
Senior Art Director, Web Designer

Universal Media, Inc., NYC - 1991 - 1998
Art Director, Marketing And Promotions

Drake Publishers, NYC - 1991
Art Director

Valco Reproduction, Brooklyn, NY - 1986-1990
Art Director

Best Seal Corporation, NYC & Edison, NJ -1980-1986
Art Director


FREELANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Juliet Stewart, International Make-up Artist, Promotional Web site, Marketing and Promotional materials
Rob Kron Custom Design, Logo Design, Graphic Identity, Web site Development
RMS Business Advisors, Logo Design, Promotional Brochure
e-World Consulting and Education, Logo Design
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Rockland County, Invitation, Gala Journal Cover
RB Works, Marketing and Promotional Materials, Brochures, Fact Sheets, Print Ads, Trade Booth Graphics
Jezibell & The Inanna Company, CD Cover Artwork, Production and Art Direction,
Inanna: Journey of Darkness and Light
Superclubs, Sales Presentation
Four Winds Earth Chorus, Logo Design, CD Cover Artwork and Art Direction, We Each Send A Voice,
Web site Development; Promotional Artwork, Programs and Flyers,
Cover Illustration, Philip Jose Farmer, Image of the Beast
Cover Illustration, Samuel Delany, Equinox
1996 NYC Witches’ Masquerade Ball, Benefit Poster, Promotional Web sites 1998-2000
Dr. Michael Klus, Corporate Identity & Promotional Graphics, Print & Direct Mail Advertising
New Moon NY, Newsletter Editor & Art Director 1992-1994
Kim Anderson, Poet, Book Design, Trust: poems by Anderson
Patience T’ai Chi Association, Staff Artist, Calligrapher, Computer Video Graphics, Brochures, Promotional Art
Peloro Imports, Corporate Identity Program
Schaffer Foods, Advertising Illustrations, Trade Show Booth
Metro Foodservice News, Cover Illustrator, Writer/Artist - MetroMa’am Comic Feature, Corporate Promotional Graphics
Computer Arts Forum, Computer Graphics Instructor 1984-1985
Boys Brotherhood Republic, Display & Environmental Art, Art Restoration
Camp Wabenaki, Arts & Crafts Counselor 1978, 1979
Fashion Contacts Magazine, Staff Artist, Assistant Art Director
A.R.M. Productions, Animation Cel Painting & Titles, Record Album Graphics
Gold Key Entertainment, Promotional Media Illustration
Millimeter Magazine, Cover Illustration
Mitchell Cohen, Poet, Book Design and Illustration, Love and Rockets

 
EDUCATION

Pratt Manhattan, New York City
Professional Continuing Education, Fall 1990,
Electronic Publishing, Pagemaker, Adobe Illustrator, Quark Xpress

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
BFA with Honors 1980, Illustration and Graphic Design dual Major

Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY:
Class of 1976 w Honors Industrial Design Major

View or Download a my complte Resume.
RESUME - PDF File - 464k - Print Resolution
RESUME - PDF File - 21k - Sceeen Resolution

 
Yikes! That's a lot of stuff! Just give me THE BASICS